A red cabbage-based salad with ramen noodles and a sweet-tangy dressing. This is a sponsored post for Dorothy Lynch Home Style and Light & Lean Dressing & Condiment. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Peanut ramen salad recipe: The perfect picnic salad with a simple, tasty peanut sauce!

Everyone needs a few picnic salad recipes up their sleeve. Here’s a new one you have to try!

What makes a great picnic salad?

  • It feeds a crowd.
  • It can be made ahead of time.
  • It’s crowd-pleasing.
  • It’s budget friendly.

This Thai-inspired peanut ramen salad is unique enough to be the star of your picnic – but familiar enough to please even picky eaters.

It’s fresh and full of flavor. I think you’re going to love it!

What you'll need to make peanut ramen salad. Click through for recipe!

About the Recipe and Peanut Sauce

This salad has a wide variety of fresh and delicious ingredients:

  • Chicken
  • Cabbage
  • Ramen noodles
  • Red bell pepper
  • Green onion
  • Cilantro
  • Peanuts

But the sauce makes this salad.

Making homemade peanut sauce at home couldn’t be easier when you start out with a base of Dorothy Lynch Dressing & Condiment.

This dressing is the perfect mix of sweetness and tang: Two essential components of a great peanut sauce!

Peanut ramen salad: The perfect summer picnic salad recipe that's cheap and delicious!

I simply added peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and a touch of Sriracha sauce. It’s that simple!

Tip: This peanut sauce is very versatile. Use it on grilled chicken, as a sauce for a Thai pizza, drizzled on fried rice or tofu, or as a salad dressing. Consider making a double batch for use throughout the week!

Dorothy Lynch Dressing & Condiment comes in two varieties: Light & Lean and Home Style. I used the Home Style for this peanut sauce.

Peanut ramen salad with a homemade peanut sauce. Click through for recipe!

This gluten-free dressing is made in the Midwest and is available at Hy-Vee, Walmart, and other grocery stores. It can also be purchased online.

And it can be used in so many different ways! Here are some recipes to try:

Make-Ahead Instructions

If you’re planning on making this salad ahead of time, read on.

To ensure that cabbage, green onion, and cilantro are as fresh and crisp as possible, add them right before serving, or up to a couple of hours before serving.

Everything else can be combined the night before. See recipe below for specific instructions.

Peanut ramen salad with a homemade peanut sauce. Click through for recipe!

Peanut Ramen Salad

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 packages of ramen noodles (discard seasoning package)
  • 1 grilled chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup chopped peanuts
  • 3 cups shredded cabbage
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • Handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
  • Lime segments, for serving

For peanut sauce

  • 2/3 cup Dorothy Lynch Dressing & Condiment
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (optional)

Instructions

    1. Prepare ramen noodles: Add dried noodles to a pot of boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
    2. Make peanut sauce: Place all ingredients into a blender, and puree until smooth. Add a splash of water if the sauce is too thick to blend.
    3.  To assemble salad: Toss ramen noodles in the peanut sauce. Add chicken, red bell pepper, and peanuts. If you’re serving right away, mix in the rest of the ingredients.
    4. If you’re preparing the salad the day before: Wait to add the cabbage, green onions, and cilantro leaves until ready to serve. This will help ensure that the vegetables are crunchy and fresh.

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